DATE: 07/01/2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Fire Department
2026-243
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE CAL FIRE WILDLAND PROTECTION AGREEMENT (WPA)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks Council to adopt Resolution No. 2026-081 authorizing payment of $178,833.94 to CAL FIRE for Fiscal Year 2027 under the City’s Wildland Protection Agreement (WPA). This agreement, which has been approved annually since 2021, provides CAL FIRE specialty wildland fire protection services within designated areas of Corona.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Adopt Resolution No. 2026-081 authorizing payment of $178,833.94 to CAL FIRE for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 under the Wildland Protection Agreement. b. Authorize an appropriation in the amount of $1,986 to the Fire Department’s operating budget within the General Fund (FD_1110).
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
Certain undeveloped and open-space areas within Corona are designated as Local Responsibility Areas (LRAs), and the City is financially responsible for providing wildland fire protection in LRAs. While the Corona Fire Department responds to fires throughout the city, large vegetation fires often require specialized resources, including aircraft, bulldozers, hand crews, and additional fire engines.
To ensure those resources are available quickly and at a predictable cost, the City entered into a Wildland Protection Agreement (WPA) with CAL FIRE in 2021. Under this agreement, CAL FIRE provides wildland fire protection services within designated LRA areas, in exchange for an annual reimbursement payment.
The original agreement covered approximately 721 acres in the Prado Basin area. The agreement was established following the 2020 Airport Fire, which started in the Prado Basin and ultimately cost nearly $4 million to suppress. The incident took approximately two weeks to fully contain and disrupted airport operations for several days. The agreement was created to improve emergency response and reduce the City's exposure to significant wildfire suppression costs.
In 2022, the agreement was expanded to include the Eagle Valley area, increasing coverage to approximately 1,879 acres. The expansion was supported by wildfire activity in the area and provided greater access to CAL FIRE's specialized resources at predetermined costs.
The current amendment adds the Sierra Del Oro area, approximately 1,476 acres, bringing the total protected area under the agreement to approximately 3,355 acres.
These areas are located within Corona city limits and remain the City's responsibility for fire protection; however, the agreement provides a structured, cost-effective mechanism for obtaining CAL FIRE resources during large wildland fires.
ANALYSIS:
Wildland fires in and around Corona can spread rapidly given the area's terrain, vegetation, and wind conditions. During larger incidents, the Corona Fire Department may require additional resources beyond those immediately available within the City. The Wildland Protection Agreement (WPA) establishes a coordinated response framework between the City of Corona and CAL FIRE, ensuring that specialized resources, including aircraft, hand crews, bulldozers, and additional fire engines, can be deployed quickly when needed.
Without the agreement, the City could be responsible for the full cost of requesting CAL FIRE resources during a major wildfire. A large-scale emergency response involving aircraft and other specialized equipment can exceed $50,000 in the initial hours, with costs rising significantly as the incident escalates. By establishing a fixed annual reimbursement, the agreement allows the City to budget for these services in advance, while reducing the financial uncertainty associated with large wildfire events.
In addition to reducing financial risk, the agreement improves coordination between Corona Fire Department and CAL FIRE personnel through pre-established response plans and operating procedures. This coordinated approach helps ensure that resources are deployed efficiently, response times are minimized, and critical firefighting assets are available when needed to protect residents, property, infrastructure, and open space areas throughout the community.
Since its original adoption in 2021, the agreement has expanded to address wildfire risks in the Prado Basin, Eagle Valley, and Sierra Del Oro areas. These expansions reflect the City's ongoing efforts to adapt to changing wildfire conditions and ensure that high-risk areas receive appropriate protection. The Fire Department considers the Wildland Protection Agreement a key component of Corona's wildfire preparedness strategy and an important tool for safeguarding the community, while managing long-term firefighting costs.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Funding for the recommended actions is partially included in the Fire Department’s operating budget within the General Fund (FD_1110) and Measure X Fund (FD_1120); however, an additional appropriation of $1,986 is required to fully fund the payment to CAL FIRE for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 under the Wildland Protection Agreement. This appropriation will be requested on a recurring basis in future fiscal years, subject to the Fire Department’s annual activity and seasonal demand. The agreement operates on a fiscal year basis from July 1 through June 30. Future annual costs may change based on the number of protected acres and CAL FIRE's annually established cost-per-acre rates.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. There is no possibility that adopting Resolution No. 2026-081 will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: JUSTIN MCGOUGH, DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF
REVIEWED BY: BRIAN YOUNG, FIRE CHIEF
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – Resolution No. 2026-081
2. Exhibit 2 – WPA Agreement for FY 26-27